Operator vs saw operator

The differences between operators and saw operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $32,319 average annual salary of a saw operator.

The top three skills for an operator include safety procedures, CDL and emergency calls. The most important skills for a saw operator are tape measure, hand tools, and basic math.

Operator vs saw operator overview

	Operator	Saw Operator
Yearly salary	$37,928	$32,319
Hourly rate	$18.23	$15.54
Growth rate	7%	3%
Number of jobs	159,077	58,465
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 56%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	4	-

What does an operator do?

Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.

What does a saw operator do?

Saw operators are responsible for setting up and operating power saws to slot, cut, and trim metallic and non-metallic materials. They are the ones who choose and install blades on machinery using hand-tools and verify dimensions of finished material using measuring devices. They may perform additional tasks such as loading saws and monitoring sawing operations, and replacing damaged or worn saw blades. Saw operators are also responsible for recording data on production reports and assisting staff with the maintenance and repair of saw equipment.

Operator vs saw operator salary

Operators and saw operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operator	Saw Operator
Average salary	$37,928	$32,319
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $53,000	Between $26,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	San Jose, CA	Springfield, OR
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Oregon
Best paying company	Microsoft	Micro Metals Inc.
Best paying industry	Technology	Construction

Differences between operator and saw operator education

There are a few differences between an operator and a saw operator in terms of educational background:

	Operator	Saw Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 56%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Operator vs saw operator demographics

Here are the differences between operators' and saw operators' demographics:

	Operator	Saw Operator
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%	Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 1.1% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	6%

Differences between operator and saw operator duties and responsibilities

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

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Saw operator example responsibilities.

Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
Used spread sheets, calipers, micrometers, and other gauges to ensure proper sizes and quality of finish products.
Utilize precision measuring instruments such as calipers and micrometers.
Use various size micrometers, calibers, and gauges accurately.
Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling and cleaning machines, etc.
Fabricate and cut rolled copper into specific parts for use in HVAC applications.

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Operator vs saw operator skills

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

Common saw operator skills

Tape Measure, 15%
Hand Tools, 10%
Basic Math, 8%
Math, 8%
Aluminum, 7%
Safety Procedures, 6%

Operator vs. similar jobs

Operator related careers

Operator related jobs

Operator jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

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